Practice of Chinese medicine without registration case in Pat Heung reclassified as manslaughter

     Police yesterday (November 24) reclassified a case of practice of Chinese medicine without registration reported in Pat Heung on December 10, 2020 as manslaughter.
 
     At 10.34pm on that day, Police received a report that a 55-year-old woman suffered from breath difficulty inside her residence in Kam Sheung Road, Pat Heung. Police sped to the scene. The woman was rushed to Pok Oi Hospital in conscious state and was certified dead at 11.42pm on the same day.
 
     The District Crime Squad of Yuen Long District took over the case. Investigation revealed that the deceased for received acupuncture treatment from a now 74-year-old man at her residence at about 9.35pm on that day. He is neither a registered nor listed Chinese medicine practitioner.
 
     At 5.25am on December 11, 2020, Police arrested the man for practice of Chinese medicine without registration and laid a charge against the man with one count of practice of Chinese medicine without registration on the same day. The case was mentioned at Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on December 12, 2020.
 
     Further investigation revealed that the man had performed acupuncture treatment on the deceased for seven times previously. Post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was bilateral pneumothoraxes due to penetrative injuries to the back.
 
     After consulting the Department of Justice, The case was reclassified as manslaughter. The charge against the arrested man was amended to one count of manslaughter and seven counts of practice of Chinese medicine without registration. The case will be mentioned at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on November 28.